Headlight



E. SCHIMPFF HEADLIGHT Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,279-

Filed Sept. 24. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8, 1929.

E. SCHIMPFF HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 24, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8,1929.

E. SCHIMPFF HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 24, 1924 a. Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedJan. 8, 1929.

v 1,698,279 PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHIMPFF, 01's SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEADLIGHT.

Application filed September 24, 1924. Serial No. 739,475.

This invention relates generally to reflecting devices for automobileheadlights.

Headlight reflectors of the types heretofore used comprise aparabolicconstruction which theoretically projects the light beamforwardly and without upward dispersion such as would interfere with thevision of a person facing thefront of the vehicle. In

practice, however, actual construction does not provide a clean-cutlight beam having this characteristic so that there is a. substantialdispersion or scattering of light rays with the result that a blindingefl'ect is produced with relation to persons approaching the vehicle andfacing the lamps thereon.

A general object of the present invention is to provide headlightreflectors which will be free from the objections referred to and whichwill project illuminating beams forwardly and downwardly to light up theroadway but which will not project rays upwardly above the line ofvision of persons in j the roadway ahead of the Vehicle.

The invention includes a reflectorin which the upper portion has theconstruction of the usual parabolic curvature but with the lower portionformed into a series of reflecting surfaces so arranged as to reflectlight rays received thereagainst upwardl into engagement with the upperor para olic section of the reflector. The result of this is that therays which normally reach the upper portion of the reflector from thelight source are projected'forwardly and downwardly as in the priorconstructions while the light rays engaging the lower portion of thereflector, instead of being projected outwardly and upwardly as in theold constructions are projected forwardly and upwardly against the upperportion of the reflector from whence they are reflected outwardly anddownwardly. 1 The formation of the lower part of the reflector whiohfhasthus been generally described is provided to overcome the tendency ofthe imperfectly formed curves of the reflectors heretofore known andused to project rays not only forwardly but in an upward direction. Inother words, the rays which have been hereto-fore reflectedoutwardly andupwardly from the lower surface of the reflector, are in thenewconstruction, reflected either directly forwardly or at such an upwardangle as to strike the inner surface of the upper portion of thereflector. The rays which are thus directed to strike the upper. portionof the reflector are, as is the case with rays recelved on this surfacedirectly from the lamp, reflected forwardly and downwardly into theroadway for the desired purpose. The result is that with the improvedreflector construction described no rays are reflected upwardly into aposition to producea blinding effect on the eyes of an observer.

The improved reflector may form part i of the main body of thereflectoror it may take the form of an attachment which inay be securedto reflectors of types heretofore known and used.

Two different types of'reflecting surfaces case the reflecting areastake the form of sub stantially planesurfaces extending from the maybeused in forming the improved reflectcenter to the outer edge ofthereflector and progressively increasing in width to conform to thegeneral shape of the reflector. The other type of reflecting surface ispreferably in the form ofarc-shaped or curved areas following in ageneral waythe curvature of the'outer edgeof the reflector but with, a

greater radius of curvature. 'The'latter re fleeting surfaces arelocated directly beneath the source of light so that rays reflecteddownwardly and, to a considerable extent laterally, are reflected bythese surfaces against the upper portion of the: reflector as a whole.Other features of the invention will be hereinafter referred to. I Inthedrawings, g Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of a headlightreflector embodying the invention. Figure 2 is a view in verticalsection taken on the line 22 of Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but showing the improvedreflecting element formed as a detachable element for attach- 11161117to known types of headlight reflectors.

' the broken lines 17 so thatthere is no upward.

Refenrin tothedrawings for a more dc: tailed'description of theinvention in Figures 1 and 2 is shown a headlight reflector having theupper portionthereoff formed as. a section of a parabola and with thelower portion formed in a plurality of light reflecting. areas 11 and 12designed to reflect light received thereon from the light source 13against the parabolic reflectingsurfacelO.

The reflecting surface 11 has a formation of elongated, areas extendingfrom a central opening 14 in the reflector; tothe outer edge 15.thereof. These surfaces are formed in the embodiment of the inventionshown. in;

Figures 1 and 2 by providing angular corru ations in the shell of thereflector. The re ecting areas 11 are so spaced that light rays directedthereagainst from the source .13 are reflected upwardly as is indicatedbycthe broken lines 16 in Figure 2 of the drawing against the innersurfaceof the parabolic section 10. The rays are then reflectedforwardly and downwardly as is indicated by mation following in generalthe peripheral lines of the reflector itself but on an arc of curvaturewhose radius of curvature is longer thanthe radius of curvature of theouter edge 15 ofthe reflector shell.

The construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing contemplatesthe formation of the radially extending reflecting areas 11 as anintegral part of the construction which includes the parabolic section10. The re- 2 fleeting section including the reflecting areas 12 mayhowever be separately formed and at tached in place in the sector-shapedopening 20 formed between the confronting edges of the radiallyextending sections 11. Convenient means of supporting the reflectingmembore 12 in place consists in the use of a bracket 21 attached at 22to the radial sections 11 and provided with an angularly extending suporting end 23 on which the uppermost re ecting member 12 is supported.Other bracket members 24 connect together in a supporting relation theremaining reflecting members 12 and the uppermost reflecting memberalready referred to.

With the construction described it will be seen that rays which arereflectedlaterally and downwardly to each side of the lamp source whichin ordinary parabolic constructions tend to be in part dispersedupwardly and outwardly from the reflecting shell, are

in this case reflected upwardly against the innenpart of the parabolicsection 10 from whence they are reflected outwardly and downwardly intothe roadway. In asimilar manner rays from the li 'ht source 13 which areprojected downwar dly and forwardly and which in prior constructionswouldthen' be reflected in part upwardly and outwardly to a blindingposition, are in. this case re= floated upwardly at a more acute anglesuch that the rays engage the inner surface ofthe parabolic section 10and are thence reflected relation of reflecting areas similar to. thatalready shown at 11 and 12in Figures 1 and,

2, of the drawing. In other words, the refleeting device 25includesreflecting elements 11 and 12 which serve to divert light. rays,

which in the older constructions would be reflected upwardly into ablinding position,

into reflecting, engagement with the inner 7 surface of the upperportion of the parabolic reflecting shell 10 whence the rays arediverted forwardly and downwardly as is desired. w

It will be seen that the reflecting device 25 is provided at its centralportion with a loop 26 adapted to be placed over the stem27of a lamp 28and to beheld in place within the parabolic section 10 by the framemember which holds the glass or lens in place. The

reflecting device 25 is accordingly capable of being-placed in positionin reflectorsof known types and constitutes a separate and distinctarticle of manufacture andsale.

In Figures '5 and 6 of the drawing there is shown still anothermodification of the inven: tion whichconsists in a reflector having, asin the other modifications referred to, an upper parabolic section 10and with the lower section formedinto radially extending surfaces 30which form whatare in effect angular corrugations in thelower part ofthereflecting shell. The reflecting areas extend from the centrallydisposed opening 14 to the outer extremity of the shelledge and areformed with a longitudinal curvature approximating that of a parabolaand with a progressively increasing width from the inner to the outerends thereof.

\Vith this construction it will bec-lear that light rays reflectedlaterally outward and downward from the source of light are inturnreflccted upwardly-against the inner formed that light rays 32projected thereonfrom the light source 13 are reflected upwardly as at-33 against the inner surface of the reflecting section 10 and are thencereflected outwardly and downwardly as at 34: to illuminate the roadwayin front of the vehicle.

lVith either of the general forms of inven tion which have beendescribed, theobject of the invention may be accomplished, that is,light rays from the headlight reflecting shells which have beenheretofore reflected upwardly and outwardly in a blinding andunsatisfactory direction are, by the use of the reflecting meansdescribed herein, diverted to,

a' downward direct-ion where they are usefully employed in lighting theroadway in front of the vehicle.

What I claim is 1. A headlight reflector having its upper portion in theform of a parabolic section, the lateral walls of the lower portion ofthe reflector being formed with radial corrugations extending from thecenter of the reflector to the outer edge thereof, and that portion ofthe reflector beneath the light source carrying a surface projectingforwardly and upwardly from the normal contour of the reflector andacting to reflect light rays upwardly and to prevent any light rayspassing directly forward from the area covered by it.

2. A headlight reflector having its upper portion in the form of aparabolic section, the

lateral Walls of the lower portion of the reflector being formed into aplurality of elongated reflector members extending diagonally outwardand downward from the center of the reflector to the outer edge thereof,and the sector-shaped space between the elongated.

reflector members and beneath the source of light being provided with aplurality of transversely extending reflector members occupying steppedrelation, said reflecting members acting to reflect light rays upwardlyagainst the parabolic section of the reflector.

3. An attachmentfor headlight reflectors comprising: a reflecting deviceadapted to fit into the lower portion of a parabolic reflector, saidreflecting device including corrugated portions providing two oppositelydisposed sets of elongated reflecting surfaces extending from the centerof the reflector diagonally downward and outward to the outer edgethereof, and a set of. transverselyextending arcuate reflecting membersmounted between the oppositelydisposed sets'of elongated reflectingsurfaces, said reflecting surfaces and members acting to reflect lightrays upwardly against the upper portion of the parabolic reflector.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. EUGENE SCHIMPFF.

a downwardly and outwardly i

